


Rhythm

by helsinkibaby



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Het, Romance, outside pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 12:41:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8144419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Jim has figured out that Bones and Uhura are dating but are being subtle about it. Or rather, they were.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Theme / lonely prompts week (outsider PoV)  
> Prompt : Bones/Uhura, dirty dancing.

Put it this way, Jim's not exactly surprised to find out that Uhura and Bones are seeing one another. For one thing, he's the Captain and he's supposed to know all that goes on around his ship; he keeps his eyes and ears open and his mouth shut, despite what people (yes, by people he means Bones) might say and it might take him a while to find out all the scuttlebutt but find it out he usually does. 

For another, Uhura's lost that haunted look in her eyes that she wore for so long after the latest and last break up with Spock. There's a spark to her eyes, a swing in her hips and her ponytail that hasn't been there in far too long. (And yes, Kirk might have noticed those things for less than Captain-ly reasons. He'll never tell and, hopefully, no one will ever ask.)

Most tellingly, Bones has been a good deal less ornery the last few weeks. Jim initially put it down to being able to count the days until they'd dock back at Starfleet Headquarters until he'd seen the unmistakable tinge of a hickey peeking out from the collar of Bones's uniform one day. (About which he said nothing. See, Bones? He can do subtle.)

He puts two and two together and comes up with four, but decides to play the Captain and friend and wait until they decide to tell him themselves. 

At least, that's his plan. 

His plan which, like so many other plans he's had since being Captain, gets shot to hell not long after they get home. Because some of the crew meet up with some other Starfleet folks and they hit the bars around San Francisco and Jim Kirk never met a bar he didn't like. Turns out most of the Enterprise bridge crew have heard about it, Scotty's there listening to Jaylah talk about the Academy, Sulu's brought Ben along and he and Chekhov are getting on like a house on fire. Spock is beside Jim, looking around him like he's studying the mating habits of the human species (from what Jim can see, he'd get a hell of a lot of observational evidence) and Jim only realises the world's about to tilt on its axis when Spock stiffens almost imperceptibly. 

Imperceptibly for a human, that is. For Spock, Jim knows it's the equivalent of standing up and screaming at the top of his lungs. 

Instantly alert, he follows Spock's gaze, his mouth going dry at what he sees. Bones and Uhura are in the middle of the dance floor, their bodies pressed so close together that air couldn't even get through. Uhura's long hair flows down her back, swaying in time with the music as Bones rocks her back and forth. She's wearing a dress so short that Jim swallows hard, forces his eyes back up to her face and blames Bones entirely for his looking in the first place because, after all, his eyes were merely following the line of Bones's arms and the way his hands were firmly planted on Uhura's ass, Jim had had no choice but to look. Uhura's hands, meanwhile, are resting on Bones's chest and as Jim watches, one slides up and around to the back of his neck, and there's a hungry smile on Uhura's face as she manoeuvres his lips down to meet hers. 

They continue to move to the rhythm even as they kiss, which Jim finds quite impressive. 

It makes him wonder how much practice they've had at it, which makes him reach for his drink. 

"You did not know." 

He looks over at Spock who, although he's speaking to Jim, is staring at Spock and Uhura. 

"I suspected," he says carefully. Then, "Wait. You knew?" 

Spock nods once, sharp and staccato. "They informed me of the change to their relationship some weeks ago. They wished me to find out from them, but asked me to be circumspect, so that they could inform the rest of the crew in their own time." He looks at Jim. "I imagine that this accomplishes that end." 

What Spock's not saying is as important as what he is. "Spock-" 

"If you'll excuse me, Jim... I believe I am feeling rather fatigued. I shall take my leave and see you tomorrow." 

He turns smartly on his heel and marches away before Jim can say another word. Jim watches him go before glancing back to Bones and Uhura, still lost in their own little world, oblivious to the stares they're attracting. 

And Jim reaches for his drink, debates just ordering the bottle and having done with it. This was supposed to be a relaxing shore leave but he's got a feeling that it, and his life in general, just got a lot more complicated.


End file.
